Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity

Kate Schneider Lecy; Francisco Alarcón Gonzalez; Inbal Becker-Reshef; Lydia Mumbi Chabala; Juliana J. Cheboi; Vimbayi Grace Petrova Chimonyo; Eric Y. Danquah; Riley Demo; John Saviour Yaw Eleblu; Evan Fraser; Abe Shegro Gerrano; Tinovonga Gonhi; Timothy Griffin; Günter Hemrich; Aristide Carlos Houdegbe; Gina Kennedy; Alpha Yayah Mansaray; Mduduzi N.N. Mbuya; Kevin Murphy; Anna Nelson; Hambulo Ngoma; Danielle Nierenberg; Tiffany Oliver; Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu; Natalia Palacios; Laura Vang Rasmussen; Fred Rattunde; Paul Rogé; Julia Sibiya; Melinda Smale; Martin Paul Tabe-Ojong; Andrew L. Thorne-Lyman; Emilie Vansant; Eva Weltzien; Ayala Wineman; Sieglinde Snapp

doi:10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3

Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity

Kate Schneider Lecy
, Francisco Alarcón Gonzalez
, Inbal Becker-Reshef
, Lydia Mumbi Chabala
, Juliana J. Cheboi
, Vimbayi Grace Petrova Chimonyo
, Eric Y. Danquah
, Riley Demo
, John Saviour Yaw Eleblu
, Evan Fraser
, Abe Shegro Gerrano
, Tinovonga Gonhi
, Timothy Griffin
, Günter Hemrich
, Aristide Carlos Houdegbe
, Gina Kennedy
, Alpha Yayah Mansaray
, Mduduzi N.N. Mbuya
, Kevin Murphy
, Anna Nelson

Hambulo Ngoma, Danielle Nierenberg, Tiffany Oliver, Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu, Natalia Palacios, Laura Vang Rasmussen, Fred Rattunde, Paul Rogé, Julia Sibiya, Melinda Smale, Martin Paul Tabe-Ojong, Andrew L. Thorne-Lyman, Emilie Vansant, Eva Weltzien, Ayala Wineman, Sieglinde Snapp

Biotechnology Research Centre

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate

Abstract

Addressing nutrition and climate resilience together requires transdisciplinary participatory action research with clear impact pathways for systems change that starts from the ground up. The concept of ‘crops that nourish’ is proposed here to offer a new mode of pursuing agricultural development. It involves iterative co-creation between farmers and researchers that prioritizes local needs and agency, human health, resilience and sustainability through a focus on opportunity crops.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1103-1106
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature Food
Volume	6
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3

Cite this

Schneider Lecy, K., Gonzalez, F. A., Becker-Reshef, I., Chabala, L. M., Cheboi, J. J., Chimonyo, V. G. P., Danquah, E. Y., Demo, R., Eleblu, J. S. Y., Fraser, E., Gerrano, A. S., Gonhi, T., Griffin, T., Hemrich, G., Houdegbe, A. C., Kennedy, G., Mansaray, A. Y., Mbuya, M. N. N., Murphy, K., ... Snapp, S. (2025). Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity. Nature Food, 6(12), 1103-1106. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3

@article{2bac98ff76db4634b1b53daf0b6da62d,

title = "Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity",

abstract = "Addressing nutrition and climate resilience together requires transdisciplinary participatory action research with clear impact pathways for systems change that starts from the ground up. The concept of {\textquoteleft}crops that nourish{\textquoteright} is proposed here to offer a new mode of pursuing agricultural development. It involves iterative co-creation between farmers and researchers that prioritizes local needs and agency, human health, resilience and sustainability through a focus on opportunity crops.",

author = "\{Schneider Lecy\}, Kate and Gonzalez, \{Francisco Alarc{\'o}n\} and Inbal Becker-Reshef and Chabala, \{Lydia Mumbi\} and Cheboi, \{Juliana J.\} and Chimonyo, \{Vimbayi Grace Petrova\} and Danquah, \{Eric Y.\} and Riley Demo and Eleblu, \{John Saviour Yaw\} and Evan Fraser and Gerrano, \{Abe Shegro\} and Tinovonga Gonhi and Timothy Griffin and G{\"u}nter Hemrich and Houdegbe, \{Aristide Carlos\} and Gina Kennedy and Mansaray, \{Alpha Yayah\} and Mbuya, \{Mduduzi N.N.\} and Kevin Murphy and Anna Nelson and Hambulo Ngoma and Danielle Nierenberg and Tiffany Oliver and Osei-Wusu, \{Mavis Owusuaa\} and Natalia Palacios and Rasmussen, \{Laura Vang\} and Fred Rattunde and Paul Rog{\'e} and Julia Sibiya and Melinda Smale and Tabe-Ojong, \{Martin Paul\} and Thorne-Lyman, \{Andrew L.\} and Emilie Vansant and Eva Weltzien and Ayala Wineman and Sieglinde Snapp",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Springer Nature Limited 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "1103--1106",

journal = "Nature Food",

issn = "2662-1355",

publisher = "Springer Nature",

number = "12",

}

Schneider Lecy, K, Gonzalez, FA, Becker-Reshef, I, Chabala, LM, Cheboi, JJ, Chimonyo, VGP, Danquah, EY, Demo, R, Eleblu, JSY, Fraser, E, Gerrano, AS, Gonhi, T, Griffin, T, Hemrich, G, Houdegbe, AC, Kennedy, G, Mansaray, AY, Mbuya, MNN, Murphy, K, Nelson, A, Ngoma, H, Nierenberg, D, Oliver, T, Osei-Wusu, MO, Palacios, N, Rasmussen, LV, Rattunde, F, Rogé, P, Sibiya, J, Smale, M, Tabe-Ojong, MP, Thorne-Lyman, AL, Vansant, E, Weltzien, E, Wineman, A & Snapp, S 2025, 'Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity', Nature Food, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 1103-1106. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3

TY - JOUR

T1 - Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity

AU - Schneider Lecy, Kate

AU - Gonzalez, Francisco Alarcón

AU - Becker-Reshef, Inbal

AU - Chabala, Lydia Mumbi

AU - Cheboi, Juliana J.

AU - Chimonyo, Vimbayi Grace Petrova

AU - Danquah, Eric Y.

AU - Demo, Riley

AU - Eleblu, John Saviour Yaw

AU - Fraser, Evan

AU - Gerrano, Abe Shegro

AU - Gonhi, Tinovonga

AU - Griffin, Timothy

AU - Hemrich, Günter

AU - Houdegbe, Aristide Carlos

AU - Kennedy, Gina

AU - Mansaray, Alpha Yayah

AU - Mbuya, Mduduzi N.N.

AU - Murphy, Kevin

AU - Nelson, Anna

AU - Ngoma, Hambulo

AU - Nierenberg, Danielle

AU - Oliver, Tiffany

AU - Osei-Wusu, Mavis Owusuaa

AU - Palacios, Natalia

AU - Rasmussen, Laura Vang

AU - Rattunde, Fred

AU - Rogé, Paul

AU - Sibiya, Julia

AU - Smale, Melinda

AU - Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul

AU - Thorne-Lyman, Andrew L.

AU - Vansant, Emilie

AU - Weltzien, Eva

AU - Wineman, Ayala

AU - Snapp, Sieglinde

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Addressing nutrition and climate resilience together requires transdisciplinary participatory action research with clear impact pathways for systems change that starts from the ground up. The concept of ‘crops that nourish’ is proposed here to offer a new mode of pursuing agricultural development. It involves iterative co-creation between farmers and researchers that prioritizes local needs and agency, human health, resilience and sustainability through a focus on opportunity crops.

AB - Addressing nutrition and climate resilience together requires transdisciplinary participatory action research with clear impact pathways for systems change that starts from the ground up. The concept of ‘crops that nourish’ is proposed here to offer a new mode of pursuing agricultural development. It involves iterative co-creation between farmers and researchers that prioritizes local needs and agency, human health, resilience and sustainability through a focus on opportunity crops.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105023503980

U2 - 10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3

DO - 10.1038/s43016-025-01271-3

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 41299161

AN - SCOPUS:105023503980

SN - 2662-1355

VL - 6

SP - 1103

EP - 1106

JO - Nature Food

JF - Nature Food

IS - 12

ER -

Agricultural research approaches for crops that nourish by improving nutrition, soil health, resilience and prosperity

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this